Cotswolds Exclusive with the Royal Garden at Highgrove.
Sunday 21st June – Friday 26th June 2020 (5 nights)
Join us on our exclusive garden tour to The Cotswolds – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with stone walls, open skies, rolling grasslands, beech woods and captivating villages. We will be staying at a sumptuous hotel from where we wend our way, each day to explore wonderful gardens and quintessential English towns & villages. We will enjoy private guided tours, many by the owners themselves and see all the gardens at the height of their summer glory.
- Visit to the Royal Garden at Highgrove – HRH Prince of Wales’ private garden (please see note on itinerary page)
- Exclusive ‘after hours’ visit and dinner at Hidcote Manor Gardens
- Tour of David Austin’s Rose Garden
- Private visits to Througham Court, Coughton Court, Morton Hall and Upton Wold
- Lunch at Barnsley House, Rosemary Vereys garden
- Explore the World Heritage Site of Blenheim Palace
- Delightful hotel in the heart of Broadway with beautiful spa, pool and gardens
- Superlative Cotswolds scenery
Photo credits: Images courtesy of Kiftsgate Court; Upton Wold Morton Hall and Highgrove Enterprises; or copyright Sisley Garden Tours.
After our morning pick up at Heathrow Airport, we head north to the superb Lygon Arms Hotel, our luxury base for this five-night tour. This newly refurbished, stylish hotel is located in the heart of the Cotswolds town of Broadway, and offers an elegant swimming pool, cosy seating areas and excellent customer service.
En-route we’ll stop for lunch and independent exploration at the World Heritage Site of Blenheim Palace – the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. It is a monumental and historic palace with fabulous formal gardens and ‘Capability Brown’ landscape grounds stretching over 2,000 acres. This evening join your tour director and travel companions for welcome drinks before sitting down together for dinner at the hotel (included).
Monday 22nd June
Today we explore the beautiful Elizabethan home of the Throckmorton family since 1409, Coughton Court. We enjoy a private guided tour of the gardens and have morning coffee (included). The 25 acre grounds are considered some of the finest in England and have been described by the Royal Horticultural Society as ‘breathtaking’. Featuring the famous walled garden, a rose labyrinth boasting over 200 varieties of roses and a delightful courtyard garden modelled on the traditional Elizabethan knot garden design.
From here we continue to the private garden of Upton Wold. We’ll have lunch (included) over-looking the gardens and then be taken on a private guided tour to explore this intriguing and rewarding garden featuring a fountain garden, rose garden, fruit and vegetable gardens, meadows and ponds – not to mention the national collection of walnut trees.
We return to Broadway where there is free time to explore the delightful town followed by dinner in one Broadway’s best restaurants (included).
Tuesday 23rd June
This morning, we begin with Bourton House Garden. This privately owned garden won the prestigious HHA/Christie’s ‘Garden of the Year’ Award following a twenty-year transformation from wilderness into inspirational garden with stunning colour combinations and rare, unusual and exotic plants.
Afterwards, we move onto the delightful Cotswolds market town of Chipping Campden, full of cafés, art and antique shops, for a lunchtime stop. Then on to Kiftsgate Court, a delightfully laid out plantsman’s garden on top of a hill with magnificent views over the Vale of Evesham and a claim to the largest rose in England. Colour predominates, with roses and campanulas making a breathtaking impact everywhere in June and July.
We end the day with an exclusive ‘after hours’ visit to the famous Hidcote Manor Garden. Major Lawrence Johnston is claimed to have been the originator here of the ‘garden room’. We will enjoy the gardens, as very few do, after closing. We’ll be guided through the gardens by one of the knowledgeable volunteers and then enjoy a private dinner at Hidcote (included).
Wednesday 24th June
Today we visit the lavish rose garden of David Austin, one of the world’s leading rose breeders. See over 800 varieties, including shrub, old fashioned, climbing and species roses. Lunch at David Austin Roses is included.
In the afternoon we visit the superb garden at Morton Hall. This 8 acre historic garden has undergone an extensive make-over in recent years and is one of England’s most exciting gardens to visit. Your evening is at leisure in Broadway.
Thursday 25th June
For many, today is a highlight of the tour – a visit to the Royal Garden at Highgrove – home to HRH the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. These gardens have been created by the Prince of Wales during his thirty years of ownership and are widely regarded as some of the most inspired and innovative gardens in the UK.
After our tour we will enjoy lunch (included) in Highgrove’s Orchard Restaurant. Please see note below regarding tickets to the Royal Garden at Highgrove. In the afternoon we explore Cirencester – a delightful Cotswolds market town and there will be time to enjoy its independent shops, church and Roman heritage. This evening join your travel companions for a private, final night dinner in the hotel (included).
Friday 26th June
We begin our last day with a visit to the private garden of Dr Christine Facer, Througham Court – recommended by Tim Richardson in ‘The New English Garden’. Througham Court is Christine’s own garden and is used as a personal ‘design laboratory’ to experiment with new ideas, materials and planting combinations. We will enjoy a private guided tour of the gardens with Dr Facer.
From here we continue onto Barnsley House for lunch (included). A tour of British gardens is not complete without a visit to the late Rosemary Verey’s garden at Barnsley House. It is now a luxury boutique hotel but the gardens have been beautifully maintained. We meet the head gardener who was originally employed by Mrs Verey herself.
In the afternoon, we make one drop off at Heathrow Airport and one in central London.
NOTE: THE ROYAL GARDEN AT HIGHGROVE: In February each year, the Prince of Wales’ office at Highgrove releases dates on which pre-booked visits to the gardens will be available for the period April – October. Dates are limited and dependent on the Prince’s diary. It is therefore not possible to guarantee tickets to Highgrove before these dates are released. Our itinerary may be re-ordered to accommodate the visit to Highgrove or an alternative garden will be included should tickets not be available.
Please read our Tour Joining and Departure Arrangements information sheet here
Our Hotel
Our hotel is newly refurbished and has been selected for its high standard of comfort and service. All rooms are en-suite and offer free wi-fi access.
The Lygon Arms Hotel, Broadway
Recently awarded the ‘Best UK Newcomer or Back on the Scene Hotel’ in the Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence 2019, the Lygon Arms is located in the heart of the picturesque Cotswolds town of Broadway. This renowned Cotswolds hotel is one of Britain’s most historic inns – its guest list has included both King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell. Today the hotel offers stylishly comfortable rooms, numerous lounges and snugs, superb outdoor areas, gardens and an elegant swimming pool & spa.
| Tour cost per person (sharing twin or double room) | Single Supplement (for single occupancy of a double room) |
| £3,300 (GBP) | £525 (GBP) |
PRICES INCLUDE: Accommodation at our luxury Broadway hotel with en-suite facilities based on twin/double room share; buffet breakfast daily; 4 lunches and 4 dinners; admissions to gardens; deluxe coach travel with professional driver; guided tours as described in an information pack provided at the start of the tour; services of your Sisley tour director throughout; arrival transfers are included only if you are joining the tour at Heathrow Airport on the first morning of the tour.
PRICES EXCLUDE: Airfares; passport and/or visa fees; beverages; laundry; telephone calls; lunches and dinners (except where included in the itinerary); gratuities; souvenirs and items of a personal nature.
EXCHANGE RATE INFORMATION: You can get an idea of the cost of the tour in your local currency by using a currency converter. Conversion rates are based on institutional or inter-bank daily rates. Retail conversation rates include fees and will generally differ from these rates.
We are delighted you’ve decided to join a Sisley Garden Tour. There are several ways to book:
- You can book directly through Sisley Garden Tours
- You can book through our appointed agents in the USA, Worldwide Traveler and pay in $USD
- You can ask your local travel agent to contact us and book on your behalf
- We can also offer Bespoke Tours for small groups (minimum 12). Please contact us with your requirements.
We very much look forward to welcoming you.
